NCN Reports : The body of the late Captain Ryder Castillo has been successfully extracted from the remote Region Eight crash site and brought to Georgetown, authorities confirmed on Tuesday.
Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, Lt. Col. (Ret’d) Egbert Field, and National Security Advisor Captain Gerry Gouveia both confirmed the development, with Gouveia telling NCN News that the body is now in police custody in Georgetown.
Captain Castillo, a Nicaraguan national, was piloting Air Services Limited aircraft 8R-YAC on April 10, 2026, on a cargo flight from Mahdia to Imbaimadai when communication was lost. A multi-agency search and rescue operation was subsequently launched, with GDF Special Forces ultimately locating the crash site in a heavily forested, steeply inclined area of Region Eight. The body was recovered in an advanced state of decomposition, with all indications suggesting death occurred instantly at the time of impact.
ASL confirmed that Captain Castillo had served the company for eight years — a tenure marked by professionalism, calm leadership, and a quiet but lasting impact on all who worked alongside him. Colleagues remembered him as a kind and supportive individual who was widely respected throughout the organisation.
“He will be profoundly missed by all who had the privilege of working with him,” ASL said in a statement, extending heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones.
An investigation into the cause of the crash continues.
